Used as a key chiral building block in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the development of protease inhibitors and antiviral agents. Its stereochemistry allows for selective interactions in biological systems, making it valuable in drug design for targeting specific enzyme active sites. Commonly employed in the preparation of HIV and HCV therapeutic candidates due to its ability to mimic peptide transition states. Also utilized in the construction of bioactive molecules requiring constrained piperidine scaffolds with defined functional group orientation.